1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for producing a chain terpene alcohol having the formula (I) or (II) by a hydrogenation of N,N-dialkyl hydroxylamine having the formula (III) or (IV) with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst. More particularly, it relates to a process for producing a chain terpene alcohols such as geraniol, nerol, citronellol, hydroxygeraniol, hydroxynerol or hydroxycitronellol. ##STR4## wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are the same or different and respectively represent hydrogen atom or a lower alkyl group and R.sup.3 represents an alkyl group.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore, the cleavage reaction of hydroxylamine bond by a hydrogenation in the presence of a catalyst has been studied by using Pt catalyst. However, the cleavage reaction of hydroxylamine bonded to chain unsaturated hydrocarbons with hydrogen has not been studied.
Thus, in order to attain the cleavage of O--N bond by the selective hydrogenation, the methods of using the reducing reagents such as zinc-acetic acid have been proposed. However, from the viewpoint of pollution, the conventional reduction using the reducing reagent had industrial disadvantages of the treatment of the by-products and it was uneconomical reducing method.
The inventors have studied on the hydrogenation cleavage of O--N bond of hydroxylamines having chain unsaturated hydrocarbon group to obtain chain unsaturated terpene alcohols which had been considered to be impossible.